Chapter 14
Crossroads
CORUSCANT
Sixteen Years Ago,
A young Count Dooku was standing over an observation window looking down at a single babe inside, alone crying while a nursery droid tried to ease the child's suffering. He was wearing a pale burgundy tunic and trousers, not the dark black ones he wore in the present, they even had a yellow embroidery around the trim.
"The boy's real mother would be better." A familiar voice said to the Count, slowly he turned to see a man in the prime of his life. He had long brown hair in a knot behind his head, a trimmed beard was around his chin and mustache under a large but noble nose.
"Master Jinn." Count Dooku said greeting him, but the other Jedi Master gagged "Uh I hate it when you call me that Master it makes me feel so old." Qui-Gon said.
"Apologizes Qui-Gon, I no longer see the young boy before me and you have an apprentice of your own. It would be a shame for me to break formalities, it's bad form." Dooku said as they looked down at the crying infant.
Both men starred in silence, a tuft of orange hair on the infant's soft head "That's him, the son isn't it?"
"Indeed, have you heard anything from Commander Tarkkin and Captain Dallin?" Count Dooku asked "They've smashed the scattered remains of the pirates fleet, and Stark has already found work with the Banking Clan." Qui-Gon informed him.
"No doubt taking a heavy percentage of the money we gave him to betray his army and fleet." Dooku said sullenly before he turned away and started to leave the nursery.
Qui-Gon followed him "I sense you have more on your mind Count?"
They left the nursery soon after and walked through the temples alone, speaking closely "How many have died just for one man to be bought off, how many of our brothers and sisters consigned to the funeral pyre while criminals go free." Count Dooku sullenly pointed out while they passed by the tall windows on the outer edge of the temple.
"It was a victory Count, maybe not how we thought but it's brought us peace again,isn't that worth something?" Qui-Gon asked him
"Peace at what cost, the Stark Comercial Combine was made up of pirates and smugglers yes, but to steal medicine and food to sell sometimes give freely to farmers and outer rim settlements who couldn't afford the outrageous prices of the Republic's economy." Count Dooku explained while they walked up some empty steps, the Count turning around suddenly .
"Yes, peace for a pointless war that could have been avoided if the greed inside the Republic hadn't been allowed to flourish for hundreds of years." Count Dooku said harshly .
Qui-Gon looked at his old mentor longingly "Then speak to the Council about this, ask them to urge Chancellor Valorum to speak with the corporations, Master Yoda will support you and so will I."
The Count turned around for Qui-Gon to follow him "The Council will hear no one's voices but their own and Chancellor Valorum is a spineless bureaucrat, who bowed down the second those corporations like the Trade Federation demanded help."
"Are we defenders of peace or servants of greed I wonder." Count Dooku added when Qui-Gon caught up to him "We fight for peace Master, we won that peace if we hadn't intervened the Republic Economy would have collapsed and there would have been chaos no?" He asked.
"I use to think that in chaos, hope thrives the best among the masses would rise to the circumstances but I see clearly now it was we who cut them down in ending Starks Rebellion." Count Dooku grumbled.
Qui-Gon stopped short of him "What are you saying Master Dooku?" Qui-Gon asked when the Count noticed was gone and they were standing a good distance apart. The count had stepped into the edge of the hallway that wasn't as well lit as Qui-Gon still basking in the light of the sun from the windows.
"... My faith in the Republic has waned my old friend, the disease of politics has begun to infect our Order, I trusted in the wisdom of Master Yoda end Starks fleet's attacks in hopes at last he would step down after years as Grand Master and I would finally succeed him, only to see Plo Koon rise where another died." Count Dooku confessed "Master Yoda hasn't even considered another Padawan since you were his apprentice, you're the obvious choice Master if you would be but patient-" "Patience." Count Dooku cut off Qui-Gon mid sentence.
"Patience will not solve anything as the Republic continues down this path and we support it. We will fall the same, I can no longer call myself a Jedi if this is our future… farewell my old apprentice. I pray we meet again, but it may be on opposing sides." Count Dooku said, walking away from a stagnant Qui-Gon who watched him disappear into the darkness.
MALEVOLENCE II
Count Dooku was standing aboard the bridge, before he turned and walked away into a private officer's chamber "Leave us." He told the droids inside the chamber. In less then a minute he was alone and knelt down in front of a holotable turning it on where a dark red hologram appeared "Lord Sidious I have news."
"You do?" He asked.
The old man bowed his head "The prodigy Leo Rock, he has shown his true colors he is now a loyal follower of the Sith."
"Hmm a shame, he showed much promise." Sidious said hands on his hips under the robe "Indeed my Master, he was seeking to uncover your existence for the Jedi but I have destroyed any hope of uncovering it along with him."
The Dark Lord of the Sith eyed his apprentice "Then he is dead along with the other Jedi younglings?"
"No my lord, the Jedi attempted a mission to rescue them but they were destroyed, Skywalker, Kenobi, Koon, Unduli and Selene." Count Dooku reported.
"... Why have you not slain the others?" Sidious asked him.
Count Dooku raised his head "I have broken the traitor, I sense he has lost all his strength to fight us as for the younglings I foresee at least one of them becoming a worthy apprentice to distract the Jedi as the war continues if not, we lose nothing." Count Dooku answered him "And Skywalkers apprentice what of this Ahsoka Tano, from our reports she is far stronger then she seems."
"She will break like the others, the death of her Master and fellow jedi will break her soon." Count Dooku replied "If only that were true."
"Beg pardon Master?" Count Dooku asked "Search your feelings Darth Tyrannus."
The Count paused seeking the force and his eyes got wide "No, I saw the ship destroy itself." He declared.
"An empty ship it seems, the death of so many powerful Jedi would not go unnoticed in the force, make sure it does." The Sith Lord said before cutting the transmission.
Anakin and the strike team entered into the Malevolence II corridors removing their space suits so they could better move. The clones were also checking their weapons to make sure their equipment was working, Rex had his both his duel pistols primed and ready, Fives and Cody were holding E-5 blasters along with the other arc troopers Bly and Trollo, but Alpha had somehow brought along a rotary blaster cannon along with a backpack full of explosives.
"Alright, Selene you and the clones make your way to the ion cannons charging chamber toward the front of the ship, Plo you and the other Masters secure the younglings." Anakin said to the two teams.
"Copy that Skywalker." Selene said looking at the Arc Troopers "And how will we find them in a ship this large?" Plo Koon asked.
Anakin reached into his robe's inner pocket tossing Selene and Plo Koon holodevice, they turned them on to see a small holographic version of the Malevolence II in their hands with three blinking lights, a red, green and blue "When we're on the last one I had Artoo download the ships schematics, I've copied them to these maps here, the lights are us so we can track the others movements." Anakin explained holding up the map with the red one, Selene's and the clone's were green, Plo's team was blue.
"Clever Skywalker, very clever." Luminara said smiling.
"No more delays, I doubt we'll be able to hide long before Grievous and Dooku know we're here when they do the force be with us." Plo Koon said, taking the map.
But before they could wish everyone good luck Barris spoke "But if we're rescuing the younglings how do you know where Ahsoka and Leo are?"
"This isn't the first time the two of them have been the Count's prisoners, both of them would be too dangerous to keep close with the other younglings, Leo's betrayal will have given him a special place with easy access for the Count to torture him." Obi-Wan explained.
Everyone nodded and looked at one another before breaking up, Plo Koon and Selene's team went down one hallway while Anakin and Obi-Wan sprinted the opposite way.
Meanwhile up in the star deck, Ahsoka kept struggling at her restraints trying to find a weakness. Leo was hanging there limply eyes on the floor while his friend kept trying to figure a way out of their bond "Stop wasting your strength." Leo told her.
"Unless you have anything to say about getting out of here-" suddenly her restraints surged with electricity at her continuous struggling.
Leo closed his eyes refusing to watch "Don't you get it, Count Dooku was a Jedi Master, General Grievous has spent his whole life fighting us; they know everything about us, how we fight, how we run, those restraints are made to make our force nothing but air." Leo said looking up to them.
Ahsoka panted hard, still awake if barely "Maybe for Jedi…. but you're not just a Jedi Leo." Ahsoka said, getting an idea from the shock.
"What do you…. no, Ahsoka please don't." Leo said, shaking his head knowing what she was thinking "Come on, one blast of force lighting and you could break the magnetic locks." She told him adamant that it would work.
"Or I could blow off my arms and legs, break the glass and kill us both." Leo snapped back. The torgurtan Jedi's pale blue eyes were like daggers before she looked at the windows, one stray bolt and they'd be sucked out into the frozen embrace of space and a very painful death. Not even once at the thought of the air in their lungs being ripped out, frozen to the core in a manner of seconds or eyes being blown out reflected in her pupils.
They looked back at Leo's gold and red eyes "I'll take that chance, do it."
Leo's despair filled eyes turned to sadness "You don't know what you're asking."
"Do it Leo, or the younglings are as good as dead!" Ahsoka barked at him from across the deck "No, I won't use the darkness not again- NOT EVER!" Leo howled at her louder this time frothing at the mouth at the end.
The air grew with silence when Ahsoka broke it again saying "Coward."
"What?" Leo asked at the sudden insult.
When he looked up at her her face was disgusted like when they fought onboard the Crucible "You heard me Leo, you're a coward.'
He gritted his teeth, hands twisting into fists hearing her "What, don't like that? Too bad it's true." She said shaking her head "Look at you Leo, your nothing but a broken little boy afraid of the dark- what happened to the Jedi who wouldn't hesitate striking down Sith Acolytes?" She asked.
Dropping his head his face scrunched up Leo held his tongue behind his bit lip "You weren't afraid to face a hundred Geonosian Warriors, you weren't scared when you let Bane throw you into space, or Ventress torture you what one little taste of the Dark Side and you shrivel up" she taunted.
"Oh it's so bad that your mom and dad gave you up for a bit of money, boo who cares, I don't even know my parents and you think I haven't thought about them. Why should I be surprised you've always been a selfish bastard." She said getting Leo to look at her "What, got something to say?" She asked.
He opened his mouth but Ahsoka cut him off "Going to scream and get mad like you always do, ha I doubt it that be the dark side oooh scary, how many times did you go running to my Master or Obi-Wan when you got afraid or thought there was a Sith Lord in your closet?" She asked him.
"My master should have never let you come with us after Krell, I'm amazed you were able to even kill him seeing you like this?" She said rolling her eyes. Leo finally spoke "...Shut up."
Her head cocked back to him "Oh look you can talk, coward?" She said feigning surprise.
"What its going to be this time, another lie, another rant about how bad the Republic is- oh I know your going to start crying over whatever that girl you couldn't save on Ryloth?" Ahsoka hurled insult after insult at him making his eye twitch "You couldn't save her, you couldn't save the people trapped in the Citadel, you couldn't even save Onderon because you were too busy destroying it while you played king."
"I wasn't a king, I was trying to help them- I was trying-" "Trying, trying trying that's all you do Leo is try and fail, you failed as a Jedi and now you failed as a sith." She snapped.
"Shut up!" Leo barked at her, he closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his cheek the storm inside him growing, fists trembling in rage "Or what, you'll cry at me some more."
He barred the whites of his fangs "I said shut up Ahsoka!" He yelled again the anger rising to a boiling point, Ahsoka saw lighting starting to sprout out from the edges of his buckles "Make me Leo, wait you can't because like you said you can't do anything right, everything you touch dies so do it Leo to shut me up- you'll have to kill me so do it Leo- DO IT!" She screamed.
Leo's hands uncurled force lighting bursting from his palms feeding into his magnetic restraints following the field into the generators from his arms and legs, the lighting went inside the metal overloading it's comments with a thunderous crack the metal exploded dropping Leo onto the floor, chips of metal stabbing into the glass or cracking it.
But Leo was free, he got up slowly, Ahsoka was looking at the cracked glass "What do you know… the glass hold, now get me out of here." Ahsoka said looking back at Leo.
His hands still sparking with force lighting Leo didn't say a word walking over to the prison's controls unlocking them. Ahsoka got ready to catch herself on the floor but Leo's hand found her neck and squeezed. Ahsoka grabbed his wrist and her feet forcing herself to keep her hands on his strong arm before she was slammed into the already cracked glass of the star deck. The already damaged window splintered more when she was pressed on it.
"Leo-ack I only said it to get you angry." She choked out "You wanted me angry, I'm angry!" He shouted at her squeezing her neck "You wanted me to use force lighting well this is what it takes!" He held up his free hand, force lighting was running up and down it "I have to draw into every terrible thing, every horrible emotion inside me, all my pain, all my suffering, fear, just to unleash it on the galaxy." He told her, his grip didn't relent as her face started to turn colors.
"Is that what you want, you want me to use this power to try and save the younglings hmm?" He asked her but he didn't let her speak. He hurled a lighting covered fist into the glass next to her lekku "I-don't-want-it-anymore."
He let her go and she slouched up again the nearly shattered glass, coughing she grabbed her neck and looked up at him "I don't think you have a choice." Ahsoka said looking up smiling "The force doesn't choose good or evil Ahsoka, we do, you choose how to use your power…. it doesn't use you." She coughed out standing up looking him in the eye.
"I once thought if I had to choose between one evil better or worse, I'd rather not so that's what I'm going to do." He said turning his back on her.
"Wait, what do you mean?" She asked as he walked away past the table "Means I'm leaving Ahsoka."
She followed him halfway, stopping "But what about the younglings we have to rescue them."
"What did you say to me back on Florrum?" He asked not looking at her "We're even, so you can go now?" He quoted her starting to walk again "Leo…. Leo please stop." She called out to him but he opened the door and kept walking ignoring her, leaving her behind.
Meanwhile, the three strike teams were on their way to each of their targets. Selene and her clones were moving stealthy through the hallway at a quickened pace. Rex and Alpha were up at Selene's side, Wolfe and Bly were scouting on ahead, Cody and Fives were at their flank watching their backs.
"Thought I'd never see one of these things again." Fives said over to Cody "We won't have to once we're done." Cody said next to him.
"Clear." Wolfe and Bly said up ahead coming to another corridor "General Selene once we get to the generator, the droids we'll know we're here." Rex told her.
"Not a General, Rex." Selene told them as she sprinted down the hallway "Don't hold it against him Selene, he's young." Alpha said while they in the lower levels the Jedi team were entering onto the rail system avoiding the eyes of patrolling droids by hiding on the tram systems cargo.
Barris was crouched across from her master "This ship is massive, how could the Separatists build another one so quickly?"
"They didn't, our intel tells us Count Dooku had another one maybe a third hidden somewhere by my young padawan." Luminara told her.
"We can focus on that later, right now we need to stay hidden and quiet." Plo Koon scolded in front of them "Plo is right, the younglings need us. I can sense their fear, their pain." Aayla said in agreement when the tram stopped at the prison level for them to get off. The jedi moved up to the tram door and walked through only to come face to face with a wall of battle droids blasters trained on them, the blue and green lightsabers exploded out of their hilts ready to cut them down "Hold nothing back." Plo Koon told them before the droids opened fire.
The Masters rushed forward into a barrage of blaster fire that never touched them "Barriss if any get past us cut them down." Luminara ordered.
"Yes Master."
The three Masters moved as a hurricane of laser swords, metal was cut away like butter and any droids that got out of their way found themselves destroyed by Barriss.
Up in another corridor Anakin and Obi-Wan were hurrying to save those who'd already saved themselves when they came face to face with an even greater threat. Their brown boots skidded to a halt when they came face to face with Count Dooku sitting on the floor in meditation.
"Master Kenobi, Skywalker as always a pleasure." Count Dooku said getting up and turning around lightsaber on.
"Dooku." Anakin growled seeing him "Bold of you to assume we wouldn't notice a dozen new life signs on a ship filled with battle droids."
Suddenly they heard footsteps and a voice behind them "Bold? No incredibly foolishness." Anakin and Obi-Wan turned on their lightsabers just in time to see another Count Dooku walking out.
"Well this is a surprise." Obi-Wan said the two Jedi turning back to back to face the twin Count's.
"Where are our padawans?" Anakin demanded the Dooku in front of them, the first Dooku walked forward like the second each of them holding their lightsabers in their right hands "Beyond your reach." The two Counts said at the same time before they attacked as one. Their lightsabers locked with the two Dooku's moving in perfect sync to strike the Jedi before they broke attacking Anakin and Obi-Wan without an inch of relenting to keep their backs forced together.
Back with Selene and the clones they broke into the Ion cannon's generator room at the very heart of the ship when the two droids overseeing the generator saw them "Not again." One said before Rex shot its head off "Set the explosives." Selene ordered. The other droid pressed the alarm button sending blaring alarms across the ship.
"Yes ma'am." Fives said as Alpha handed him and Bly, the backpack "Take up positions at the doors, the droids will be on their way." Selene said drawing both a green and blue lightsaber walking next to Alpha.
Rex and Cody joined her at the door while Alpha got his rotating blaster cannon ready and stood in the middle of the doorway "Alpha shouldn't you get behind cover?" Rex asked him.
"Why, makes it less fun." Alpha said pressing a button on his rotating cannon's main body, a blue ray shield umbrella around the slowly spinning barrels.
Down in the lower levels the droids stood no chance against three battle hardened Jedi and one fairly advanced padawan who were moving through them like a weed walker on grass in need of trimming.
"Ladies I think we need a path." Plo Koon suggested to them "Aayla with me." Luminara said drawing back her hands as Plo covered them "Plo move." Aayla told them Plo back flipped joining the miralian and twi'lek in a force cannon move that tore a part the droids like a cannonball through the haul of a wooden ship clearing the way to the next door.
They hurried up to it and stuck their lightsabers into the metal door to cut through "The brig should be past this next corridor." Barriss brought up looking at the map.
"Once we acquire the younglings we will need to make it to the hanger, with any luck Skywalker and Kenobi have the padawans." Plo said as the door was cut through like cheese.
They stepped over the wheel they'd made only to see a new danger for them to face, low and behold the bane of the Jedi Generals, the cyborg warrior General Grievous with two dozen magna guards standing behind him "Jedi." Grievous said hands behind his back before he unlocked his four arms each holding a lightsaber taken from the younglings "Recognize these, you wouldn't would you as I took them from jedi younglings hahaha." The cyborg cackled.
The magna guards armed their shock staff taking up fighting positions "The General is mine." Plo said, facing off against the cyborg.
"I'll take the dozen on the right." Aayla said "The dozen on the left for me then?" Luminara said beside her.
The three Knights sprung into action, Grievous and Plo Koon engaged with the Kel door catching his two overhead arms and leaping to avoid the lower ones before delivering a roundhouse kick to the Generals mechanical jawline "You aren't fighting children now Grievous and I assure you, you won't enjoy it." Plo Koon said clutching his lightsaber firmly.
"As long as I have jedi kill I will." Grievous said attacking him again. Behind them Aayla and Luminara were taking on the magna guards in spectacular fashion often switching sides to keep the droids off guard before doubling back, Barriss watched them waiting for a chance to join the fray when she heard the clattering feet of clankers behind them.
She turned around to see a full squad of B1 battle droids hurrying toward them, smiling she held up her lightsaber happy to bust some droids.
Up in the star deck Ahsoka was standing over the table that had Huyangs remains on it, she was desperately fiddling with the droids interior, she'd removed the clamps on the droid Jedi's arms and legs "Come on, come on don't die on me Master Huyang." She said taking out a red and blue wire pressing it together to make sparks. The sparks danced for a few moments till she started to hear some clicking, Huyangs eyes fluttered on before one shorted out "S-s-s-s-s-systems severel-y-y-y-y damaged-d-d-d-d." The droid croaked out.
Huyangs head was snapping and cocking left and right before twisting all around, Ahsoka got a good look at the hole in the droids cranium "Master Huyang, can you hear me?" Ahsoka asked.
"System f-f-f-failure imminent-" the droid said looking up to her "What can I do to fix you?" She asked.
"Memory bank-s-s-s damaged, repair n-n-n-... not possible." The droid stuttered "Retrieving- backup memory file- one thousand generations of J-j-j-j-jedi lightsabers- history, must be p-p-p-p-p-preserved for future- g-g-g-generations." The droid said up to her. Ahsoka watched the droids chest open up while he tried to speak, when its old metal chassis unlocked she saw the last thing she expected to see as its backup memory core a, rising from its center was a hand carved kyber crystal the size of a large marble locked into a special matrix like a lightsaber, inside it Ahsoka saw the sigil of the jedi order but even deeper, enlaid inside the symbol she could see computer code running back and forth.
She looked at Huyang "Master Huyang without your crystal you'll die."
"T-th-there i-i-i-is n-no death…" the droid tried to say, reaching for her hand, putting it on his krystal matrix "There is only the force." She said taking it out of the slot, Huyang let out a mechanical gasp before activating for the last time. She squeezed the crystal matrix rightly fighting back her emotions looking into the crystal matrix, the history of the Jedi Orders fabled weapons in the palm of her hand made it heavier then she knew it was.
Below them Anakin and Obi-Wan were locked in the duel against the twin Dooku's before forcing them back "One of them has to be the real Dooku." Anakin gasped.
"But which one?" Obi-Wan asked before they were attacked again.
The two on two fight continued all the way down the hallway, none of them aware of Leo watching them from the corner of another corridor, instead of helping them he went the other way trying to find a way out.
Anakin caught one of the Dooku's lightsabers while Obi-Wan kicked the other one away and attacked the next one to save Anakin. The other Dooku flipped back around and stood next to the other, they were identical in every way, appearance, form and tenacity.
"This is a trick." Anakin said with Anakin helping him up "But not a smart one, you can't clone a Jedi if we want to know which one is the real one we need to force him to show it."
Anakin's ears perked up when he heard 'force' "I see what you mean Master." He and Obi-wan stood side by side raising their hands and pointed them at Count Dookus. The force unleashed from them toward the Counts jumped around the hallway dodging before one of them sent out a blast of force lightning and the other was knocked into a nearby wall.
The Jedi gazed in astonishment as Dooku flickered, he was a hologram around a droid, Proxy.
"Very clever Master Kenobi." The Count Dooku said rising slowly "But I assure you this droid is just as capable with a lightsaber as I am." He said walking up next to Proxy who took the form of Count Dooku again.
"A droid can never defeat a jedi." Anakin said getting ready to fight them again "Hmm perhaps, but what about a ghost?"
Proxy began to shift to another form, burning the hologram of Count Dooku away to reveal another force wielders "No." Obi-Wan gasped when Proxy took the form of their old Master Qui-Gon Jinn.
The sight of seeing the man who brought Anakin to his destiny as a Jedi, the man who freed him from a life of slavery and made him realize how special he was "How dare you, you defile his memory" said Skywalker charged forward ready to cut Dooku in half.
The once red lightsaber in Proxy/Qui-Gon's hand was green now locking swords with Anakin before he could strike the Count, "I'm going to turn you into scrap." Anakin said to the droid attacking it while Obi-wan faced off against Count Dooku.
"Stoic as ever Master Kenobi, you are a true credit to the Jedi unlike your most recent padawan." Dooku said, smirking.
Obi-Wan started to walk toward the Sith Lord "Do you want to know how I broke him, how he wept when I told him the full truth of his origin in the Stark Rebellion?"
Again Obi-Wan said nothing "No, very well to the death then." Count Dooku said lunging at Obi-Wan he caught a incoming left strike, parried it before slicing his lightsaber so close to Count Dooku's face he sliced off the tip of his eyebrow hair "Everything you've done to him Count, I will repay you ten fold." Obi-Wan said, coming at him.
Count Dooku caught the first blow, barely dodged the second and had to block the next because it came at him so fast, their lightsabers crossed "Here we find ourselves again Master Kenobi, you and I on opposite sides and the Jedi fumbling around us like the children they always-" Obi-Wan shoved is full forehead right into Count Dooku's forehead staggering him back
"And here we are again with your inane prattling like someone cares, we don't need to hear anymore reasoning from you Count, you are a Sith Lord a traitor and a war monger." Obi-Wan berated pointing his lightsaber "You still preach like we're the rabble of the Separatists who want freedom when all it is is profit, territory and power that fuels them." Obi-Wan said, coming at him again.
"A shame, I often enjoy friendly debating and dueling but it seems I've finally managed to break the adamant patience of Obi-Wan Kenobi." Count Dooku gave a perky white grin of fangs before him. Obi-Wan deflected another blow before jumping over the Sith and crossing swords with him once more.
Down below the droids had begun their counter attack on the Ion Cannons generator room, the clones holding their positions while the bombs were being set. "There's hundreds of them." Bly said next to the others, Selene and Alpha were at the front taking the brunt of incoming fire.
"They keep coming, so we keep blasting." Alpha declared mowing down legions of droids.
"We can't do this forever, Fives how are those explosives coming?" She asked.
The Arc trooper came running up with an empty bag he tossed away "Explosives are armed and ready, here's the detonator." He said holding it up "Thats great now we only need the signal from the others they have the youngling and padawans." Selene said while they held the line.
At the entrance to the brig the last of the magna guards had all but been destroyed except for a tenacious few Barriss was panting hard at all the battle droids she had turned to scrap. The narrow corridors made their numbers count for nothing but they had droids to spare and they just kept coming at her. In the center Plo Koon was holding own against Grievous "Doesn't matter how many of my droids you destroy I will always have more."
Grievous said as hatches in the ceiling broke open and ten Commando droids all armed with vibrio swords dropped out to attack Aayla and Luminara "And here I thought this was going to be easy." Luminara joked to her sister.
Plo Koon glared at Grievous gloating in his reinforcements before they attacked the two female Jedi. Aayla and Luminara cut down two droids instantly but the others reconfigured their attack patterns, some of their blades getting close enough to cut the Jedi. Plo Koon looked back to see Barris holding off the small army of droids alone but she couldn't do it forever none of them could.
"Certainly you must know, you are doomed." Grievous said to the Kel Dor who was weighing his options.
That's when Plo Koon, Jedi Master and General did the unthinkable he dropped his lightsaber "Stand down." He said through his mask.
"Plo- what?" Aayla asked, at the sight of this Grievous raised one mechanical hand to stop the droids "We can't win this fight, this is their round." Plo Koon said looking at Grievous, Barriss and the other jedi all looked at Plo Koon who dropped to his knees in surrender "We yield." The other Jedi begrudgingly did the same, dropping their lightsabers and kneeling in surrender to a snickering Grievous who's evil laughter echoed throughout the hallway.
In the hallway where Dooku and the disguised Proxy pretending to be Qui-Gon Jinn fighting Anakin and Obi-Wan were gaining the upper hand. Anakin and Obi-Wan struck blow after blow to their opponents and Dooku was beginning to get winded.
He backed away and when Obi-Wan was about to strike the fake Qui-Gon got in front of him blocking his slash when Anakin force pushed the droid right into Dooku. "Let's finish this Master." Said Anakin.
"Yes, let's." Count Dooku said, waving his hand when he got up, a flash of white appeared overhead, both Anakin and Obi-Wan had walked right into a trap. A ray shield domed down on them trapping them like rats in a bucket. The clones and Selene weren't fairing any better, the droids had started to pile up at the entrance giving them extra cover but the battle droids were endless. Marching over the scraps of fallen droids they just kept coming "We can't hold them for long." Rex said next to Selene who was sweating bullets while she deflected the incoming fire.
Then out of nowhere the droids halted and ceased fire "What?" Cody gasped.
"Attention to the troublemakers in our ion generator room." A voice came out over the intercom it was Count Dooku "General Grievous and I have captured your allies, surrender now and they will be spared continuo this pointless resistance and they will die." He said, making the clones look at Selene.
She turned off her lightsabers a second later "Damnit." She said before clipping them to her belt and holding up her hands. The clones did so too, dropping their blasters and raising their arms to let the droids come and take them into custody.
While the Jedi surrendered, Leo made his way down an elevator shaft before opening it up into the ship's hanger. There he saw the Slave I and the Rogue Shadow, the only nondroid ships "My ticket out of here." He said sliding out of the shaft running toward it.
But the second he broke cover the droids in the hanger spotted him "You there stop." One shouted, running up to him Leo was about to blast them when the lead droid held up his hand "Hold your fire men, he's on our side."
Leo stopped recognizing the droid "Forto?" He asked.
"Greetings my lord are you in need of this ship?" The droid asked, Leo looked at the droids bewildered. Then he remembered how limited their programming was "Yeeeeessss, its it fueled?" He asked.
Forto shook his head "Unfortunately not, you there have Lord Primus's ship fueled immediately."
"Roger, Roger." The droid said before running off "Will you need anything else my Lord?" Forto asked.
Leo and Forto then felt the whole ship shake "What was that?"
"Hmm I think those are the intruders, a couple of nasty Jedi and dirty clones snuck on board." Forto said scratching it's metal chin "What's the situation?" He asked.
"Our recent reports say General Grievous and Count Dooku have captured the intruders.'
He turned pale, paler then usual "Damn."
"What was that sir?" Forto asked him "Nothing, get my ship fueled." He ordered pushing past the droid toward the Rogue Shadow he walked up it's already lowered ramp and through the halls into the bridge starting to look at the systems. When he began to switch on the ship he sensed something was behind him and spun around at the ready to see Oculus hovering behind him.
Breathing a sigh of relief "Ock, you scared me." He said.
The probe droid flew straight into his chest shaking its disk like a head against his robe "Whoa, whoa easy didn't mean to scare you, don't worry we're getting out of here." He said down to the droid.
It beeped at him "I don't know where, just anywhere but here." He told the droid sitting back down in the Captain's chair. Ock beeped at him more curious and said something in droid speak that got his attention
"What, Obi-Wan's here so is Anakin, who else?" He asked.
Oculus answered him in greater depth "Selene, Cody and… geez bring the whole Jedi order and clone army next time." Leo said turning back in his chair at the sheer scale of the strike team.
The Rogue Shadow's systems started to wake up and Leo began entering in commands on the dashboard but Ock beeped at him again "They'll be fine, they've gotten out of worse." He told the droid.
"But if they don't, come on." Leo said turning around in his chair "Yes I know the others are captured but Ahsoka will probably get them out… right?" He asked.
Speaking of Ahsoka, she was climbing through the vents cautiously trying to find the brig when she saw something beneath her through the vent. General Grievous escorting Plo Koon, Luminara, Barriss and Aayla down the hallway in shackles.
Plo Koon sensing Ahsoka in the vents didn't look up but asked a question to their captors "Where are you taking us? The brig is the opposite way?"
"We will transport the prisoners to Count Dooku, where he will decide your fate." Grievous told him, and where Ahsoka would follow closely.
Back in the hanger, Leo was still on the Rogue Shadow waiting for it to be refueled, "Forto what's taking so long?" Leo asked looking out the window "We're almost done sir, your ship has a different fueling system then we're used to." Forto expressed before Leo signed off.
He sat there in silence waiting "What are you doing Leo?" Someone asked behind him. Instantly recognizing the voice he looked around slowly to see the last person he ever expected to see standing in front of him. Wearing a flowing white dress with draped sleeves on her arms standing tall like the first day he saw her was the twi'lek freedom fighter Kasel.
"Are you really going to abandon them?"
CORUSCANT
Office of the Supreme Chancellor
Far away in the Republic Capitals seat of power, Masters Yoda and Windu were sitting across from Chancellor Palpatine who had the city of the Republic behind him as they finished reporting to him, Mars Amedda the blue skinned chagrin's "My humble apologies Master Jedi, but how could this have happened?"
"Five of our finest Generals undertaking a suicide mission for such a small group of hostages?" The Chancellor asked them "Majority of these hostages are children of your excellency and the demands that Count Dooku were giving us for a safe return for them would have been impossible to meet." Master Windu answered.
The Chancellor still wasn't pleased "That may be, but as the Jedi answer to the Senate and I as Chancellor speak for that Senate I should have been informed of this mission."
"If we'd given the order you would have." Master Windu replied.
Palpatine looked shocked, "Master Yoda, the Council didn't command this?"
Yoda shook his head "No orders, given they were, upon their own accord the others have done to save the younglings and padawans."
"You said padawans, I was under the impression that there was only Skywalker's padawan who was taken?" Palpatine asked them.
The two Masters looked at one another "You are familiar with Master Kenobi's Padawan, Leo Rock?"
"The traitor?" Palpatine's advisor Mas Amedda asked them behind his excellency "The traitor who turned Onderon into a bloodbath, murdered his own Jedi brethren and serves Count Dooku that Leo Rock?" Amedda asked them.
The Jedi waited till he was finished "The same." Windu answered "And what of it?" Palpatine asked.
"A spy he was, sent into Count Dooku's inner circle when turned his Master Pong Krell was, the true traitor he was not Leo Rock." Master Yoda said vouching for Leo and Obi-Wan.
The Chancellor and his advisor looked at one another "And you'd keep this from us, until now?" Mas Amedda asked him accusingly "Peace my friend, the Separatists have spies everywhere I understand the need for such secrecy but what could be gained for such a risk?"
"During his time as a spy he leaked the entire Separaitst fleet movements and which worlds they had planned to invade for the next two years, many worlds have been spared from the horrors of this war thanks to his efforts." Mace Windu told the Chancellor.
The Chancellor leaned forward on his desk hands together thinking, for a brief moment the Chancellor's face shifted. Gone was the kind and wise old man who had lead the Republic through years of hardship and war, but now was something different only for a second before Palpatine returned "Moving forward, we can discuss this secrecy at a later date, what is to be done in order to save Skywalker and the other Jedi?"
"We have not heard word from the strike team since they departed Skywalker's fleet." Windu added "We can only wait until we hear from them or… from Count Dooku to know their fate."
THE MALEVOLENCE II
Leo had gotten to his feet "K-Kasel?" He gasped seeing the twi'lek in front of him. Kasel the pink skinned twi'lek he'd met on Ryloth who he'd fought side by side with to liberate who died when the Sith Acolyte Vinoc's brother was slain by Leo. He had scaled the capital city of Ryloth's great tower to fight Vinoc to try and save her, Kasel his first love, only to watch Vinoc kill her.
"How can this be?" He asked.
Kasel looked down at her pink hands Leo noticed like her she had a strange halo of light around her "Even if I had time to answer you, it would be too late." She said looking at her hands before dropping them to her side.
"Too late for what?" He asked.
Kasel looked at him, "To save them, save your friends." When she brought them up Leo's face turned cold.
"They can save themselves." Leo said looking away "No, they can't not this time." Kasel said, taking a step toward him.
Gazing at the spirit again "I can't help them, I can't save the, I couldn't even save you remember." Leo reminded her "All of this pointless death and destruction, I'm tired of being part of it tired ot being stuck in this game between the light and dark." He added "So your just going to leave them to there fate?"
"And why can't I, when was it decided I had to be the one to save everyone, don't I get to choose something for myself for once?" Leo asked her "No one ever said you couldn't." Kasel reminded him.
"What?" He asked before she spoke to him again "I'm not here to make you do anything, you may choose to stay or go but the decision will haunt you forever."
"My failures already haunt me, from Ryloth, to the Citadel, Onderon and all those other worlds I'm no savior." Leo said, turning around and looking out the cockpit into space. The spirit's hand reached out and took his, it was just as warm and soft when she first touched his own all those years ago.
He looked back at her to see her smiling up at him "No, but you are a good person Leo."
"You refuse to abandon your men even when you are outnumbered, you abandoned your mission at the Citadel to save hundreds condemned to die and risked your own position and self to bring peace to a world mired in civil war and me." Kasel told Leo listing off his deeds.
"And I failed Kasel." Leo said looking back at her again "I failed you like all the others."
"You failed by the will of others, not by your own accord and still you fought for those who couldn't fight for themselves, at the risk of your own life time and time again why should now be any different?" She took his cheek in her hand.
His sith eyes looked into hers "Because I'm more afraid than I've ever been, I can't fight for something I don't believe in, not the Republic, not the Jedi, if not them what?" He asked.
"It's within each of us to answer that Leo." The spirit said brushing her fingers across his cheek.
Leo took the hand on his cheek in his own but his fingers fell through, she was starting to disappear "Wait, wait please don't go." He begged.
"I must, death is nature, it will take us all soon and when it takes you I'll be waiting on the other side." She said now see through "But what do I do, do I stay, do I run?" He asked.
"You've lived by the will of others, the wishes of others your whole life Leo now the rest is up to you, unleash yourself from the past and embrace what could be the future." Kasel faded from sight leaving Leo alone in his ship.
His ships intercom came alive then "My lord, your ship is ready and fueled you can go now anytime you wish."
Meanwhile, the strike team had been thrown down at the feet of Count Dooku and his mercy; Obi-Wan and Anakin were in bindings like the rest of the Jedi with the clones lined up behind them in two rows. The thirteen of them were brought into the mega ion cannon's chamber's discharge center, there was a large platform in the center with both cannons on each side of them. It was the chamber directly above the generator that Selene's team had tried to blow up.
Those explosives were dropped at their feet by Dooku's droids that surrounded the Jedi and clones "I'm beginning to grow tired of these continuous games of ours my old friends." Count Dooku said pacing past them.
General Grievous was behind them with the droids surrounding the would be rescuers "We are anything but friends Dooku." Plo Koon said.
"Quite right you are, and you shall be treated as such." Count Dooku said holding up his hand the holographic feed of the younglings appeared all of them to be tortured by Dooku's machines, even Petro had passed out on the floor beaten and bloodied by the droids after trying to fight them alone.
The Jedi looked in horror at each of the younglings, Katooni was out of the small box medical droids were feeding oxygen into her through a mask only to later torture her again. Zatt's neck was red and leathery from the amount of shocks he'd received around his neck, Gandoi's ears were converted in dried blood and Byph's eyes were glazed over from the amount of horrors he'd seen. Gungi was crying in his cell trying to evade the magnetic cubes.
"The younglings." Selene said "You'll never get away with this." Barriss spat "No." Aayla gasped.
"Dook you cowardly sack of slime." Anakin barked while Obi-Wan couldn't bare to watch.
"Dooku, end this cruelty if anyone should be punished it should be us!" Plo Koon shouted at him.
"In due time, you will be interrogated, tortured, you will give us the list of all the Republic's secrets, fleet movements and list of spies… and then only after you have seen all your fellow Jedi broken or worse, then you will die." Count Dooku decreed turning off the hologram.
Plo Koon gritted under his mask "Dooku, in the name of decency in the name of the living force I beseech you do not do this, if there is anything left of the man I once called a jedi Master the man I served with in the great Stark Hyperspace War faced so many evils is still there… please stop this." Obi-Wan begged him.
Count Dooku had his back turned to him "General Grievous, kill Kenobi first, make sure Skywalker watches." Count Dooku replied.
The cyborg walked around the Jedi and clones standing over him with Kenobi's own lightsaber in his hand "Hmmm." Grievous squeezed the lightsaber "You hesitate Grievous, not very sporting to kill a man on his knees is it?" Obi-Wan said up to him "No… it's not that..." Obi-Wan said looking up at the cyborg "It's something else."
"Grievous I order you to kill him, Now!" Count Dooku's commanding voice made Grievous turn on the lightsaber, raising it over his head. The Jedi shouted and tried to break free from their bindings but the magna guards stabbed them in the back with shock staffs, the clones were electrocuted too as to stop the kaleesh cyborg from ending the Jedi Master.
"NOOOOO!" Suddenly bursting from a floor vent Ahsoka sprang into action using the force to blast General Grievous off his feet knocking Kenobi's lightsaber off his feet. She used the force to grab Anakin's lightsaber off Grievous's hip "That's my girl." Anakin said proudly when Ahsoka ignited the blades, spinning around to try and free the other Jedi but the moment froze just like she did.
Ahsoka's whole body had gone stiff and in the force grip of the Count's outstretched arm "Excellent a volunteer." Count Dooku warped his long pale fingers into a tightening claw choking Ahsoka.
She fought his grip trying to move her arms forward with her lightsabers but her feet were dragged back across the metal floor till it was too much to bear. She dropped the lightsabers reaching for her neck gasping for air "Stop it Dooku if you hurt her I'll-aaaahh." Anakin started to threaten when the magna guard behind him struck him again with the shock staff.
"Oh I'm not going to hurt her Skywalker, I'm going to kill her." Count Dooku raised his other hand bidding Anakin's own lightsaber to rise and activate, pointed right at Ahsoka. It flew like an arrow to a target before Selene kicked out the droid's feet who was guarding her and sprinted toward Ahsoka. She jumped into the air hands still bound behind her back knocking Ahsoka out of the way so that the laser sword could pierce through her back and out through her chest.
"SELENE!" Ahsoka screamed, catching her as she fell into her arms, "No, no, no, no that was meant for me." Ahsoka mumbled holding her close. Selene looked up at Ahsoka, her eyes glazing over while life slowly drained from her. She tried to speak but nothing came out, her lungs must have been pierced in the killing blow she took for Ahsoka. Gasping for air Selene's dark brown eyes rolled back closing forever.
The Count stood over the padawan and her dear friend looking at them with some humble disgust "Such a selfless act of courage, a shame no Jedi will live to remember it." Count Dooku said before he cast Ahsoka in force lighting, tossing her over to her Master's feet.
"Master… I'm sorry." Ahsoka said to him "Don't apologize, Snips." He said down to her looking up at Dooku sternly "If you're going to kill us, then get on with it." He said stoically up to the Sith Lord.
Holding his open palm aloft he answered him with force lighting "As you wish."
The power of the dark side unbarred struck each of the Jedi who were so close together the lighting bounced on and off one another "Grievous executed the clones."
"It's been a hell of a run boys." Rex said to the other Arc troopers "Likewise Rex." Cody agreed "Third." Fives added smirking "Not the ending I pictured" Boil said looking at Wolffe. The clones looked up to see battle droids walking up to them in a firing squad.
"On my command." General Grievous said to the droids.
"Ready-aim-Fi-" before he could give the command the entire mega ion cannon chamber trembled in a thunderous shake knocking many of the droids off balance and off the platform. Dooku's lighting attack broke off from the Jedi "What is this, another foolish ploy to save yourselves?" Count Dooku asked when the top outer haul of the cannon chamber started to tear itself open. Sith, Jedi, droids and cyborgs looked up to see the metal, wires and pipes peeled back like two invisible hands had dug into paper tearing it open. Standing in the middle of an open hallway ledge arms outstretched was Leo.
"I'm not here to save anyone Count." Leo said dropping his arms before he jumped off with the force propelling him like a rocket straight toward the Sith Lord, lightning flashed in Leo's eye stretching down his drawn back right arm straight toward his ready fist. The Sith Lord dodged but when Leo's strike made contact with the platform a shockwave erupted followed by force repulse that shook the platform so hard it shattered taking the floor out from under everyone's feet. Broken and shattered metal crashed into the cannon floor burying some of the Jedi and droids, Count Dooku pushed a piece of metal off the top of him, his forehead cut and bleeding.
He jumped out of the way when a chunk of metal flew toward him, it caught his brown cloak tearing it off him when the Sith Lord landed. He saw Leo standing on a piece of fallen metal beam "Like I said, I didn't come here to save anyone." Leo said dropping down he smashed his fist into an open palm lighting blasting out like thunder "I came here to kill you and I'm going to enjoy it."